The Climate Advocacy Forum of Bagerhat District has demanded specific commitment in the election manifesto of different political parties to deal with the harmful effects of climate change for the development of the coastal people on the eve of 12th National Parliament Election. They expressed that due to the harmful effects of climate change, the crisis in life of the coast of the country is continuously increasing. Since then every year natural calamities have aggravated this crisis. In this situation, special commitment is needed to protect the life and livelihood of coastal people.
This demand was proclaimed from the Coastal Dialogue on ‘Coastal People’s Manifesto’ with the leaders of different political parties and civil society representatives organized by the District Climate Advocacy Forum of Bagerhat District together collaboration with the non-governmental development organization LEDARS on October 11, 2023. The dialogue was addressed respectively Md. Shah-e-Alam Bachchu, Senior Vice President of District Awami League, Bagerhat, Mr. Manowar Hossain Togor, General Secretary of District Awami League, Bagerhat, Engineer Mr. ATM Akram Hossain, Convener of District Nationalist Party, Bagerhat, Md. Habibur Rahman, President and Mr. Hazra Shahidul Islam Bablu General Secretary of District Jatiya Party, Bagerhat, Mr. Farrukh Hasan Jewel, General Secretary of CPB, Mr. Rabindranath Debnath, General Secretary of Bangladesh Workers Party, Bagerhat.
The dialogue was presided over by Advocate Ms. Sharifa Khanom, President of District Climate Advocacy Forum, Bagerhat and was moderated by Md. Asaduzzaman Sheikh, General Secretary of District Climate Advocacy Forum, Bagerhat. The dialogue also addressed among others by Mr. Nihar Ranjan Saha, President of Bagerhat Press Club, Mr. Mukherjee Rabindra Nath, retired Headmaster, Rizia Parveen, Upazila Women Vice Chairman, Sader, Bagerhat, Advocate Ms. Luna Siddiqui, Ms. Israt Jahan, Md. Kamruzzaman, Mr. Gopinath Saha, Mr. Ali Akbar Tutul, Mr. Azadul Haque, Mr. Mahfizur Rahman, Ms. Mita, Mr. MA Salam Sheikh, SK Habib and other members of District Climate Advocacy Forum and representatives of civil society and different medias.
After the National Anthem, Advocate Ms. Sharifa Khanam urged for the solidarity of all people of different professions for the development of the people of coast in her welcome speech. Mr. Kaushik Roy, Knowledge and Research Manager of LEDARS presented a picture of the suffering and crisis of the coastal people through multimedia. He emphasized that the government needs to take various initiatives and make a master plan to solve the crisis that the people of the coastal region are facing due to climate change. All the speakers urged to include some specific demands in the manifesto of different political parties in the upcoming 12th National Parliament Election. The demands are includes: form Coastal Development Board; permanent solution of safe drinking water; undertake a house a shelter construction project; declare the coastal areas as disaster prone; protect the Sundarbans, protection of the coast; reconstruct and maintain sustainable embankment.
A victim of the coast, Agnesh Halder from Chandpai Union, said that the coastal embankment needs to be conserved by the side of construction. Otherwise, a small wave can breaks the embankment and water enters the locality and takes everything away. Some other victims of the coast also emphasized to resolve the problems and crisis of the coast. In the dialogue, the speakers also urged to increase the adaptation process to deal with the harmful effects of climate change. In future, the interests of the coastal people who are at risk of disaster should be given priority in taking up government projects. All leaders and representatives of different political parties have promised to include the demands raised by the dialogue in the upcoming 12th National Parliament Election.
